Acca

by Christina Bauer

“Access to the island. It’s enchanted so this boat’s the only way on or off.”

  My bullshit-o-meter is going off in a big way. “And that’s it.”

  Lincoln folds his arms over his chest. “He also guards the incantation.”

  Jeeves shudders. “That’s right. I guard the parchment that contains the incantation. The coin is no good without it.”

  “And where is that incantation, exactly?” asks Lincoln.

  I raise my pointer finger. “Good question.”

  Jeeves twists his gnarly fingers through his beard. “Let me think, now. I gave the parchment away words out once, a long time ago. Can’t remember the name, actually.”

  “Try harder.” Lincoln’s talking about an octave lower than normal. He’s getting pissed.

  “Ah, I remember. I gave it to a thrax male many hundreds of years ago. He had a spell.” His face crinkles into a hopeful look. “He didn’t get the coin, though. No one’s found that yet.”

  “And the name of the dude you gave it to?” I cross my fingers. Maybe Dad got bad intel. He could have coughed up that parchment to anyone. It didn’t have to be Acca.

  Jeeves stares at his hands. “King Archard the Bloody.”

  Oh crap.

  Bloody Archard. Even I’ve heard of that guy. He was the last Acca king and a real bastard, too. In fact, Bloody Archard was the whole reason Aquila had to haul her archangel cookies down to Antrum in the first place. She defeated Bloody Archard, fell in love with a thrax named Ryder, had some kids, and—BOOM—the House of Rixa was born.

  I try to process all this awfulness. Total fail. “Let me get this straight. You definitely gave incantation to a thrax from the House of Acca?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Jeeves moans. “He tricked me. Used magic.”

  “Does Aquila know?” I ask. “Can she give us a new incantation?”

  “I never told her,” says Jeeves.

  “You’re kind of a shitty protector, you know that?”

  “Why should I upset her? There was nothing to be done, anyway. Once the incantation is set, it cannot be changed. And for hundreds of years after I handed over the parchment, nothing came of it. I figured the knowledge died with Bloody Archard.”

  “The House of Acca doesn’t lose knowledge,” says Lincoln. “They pass it down, storing it up for the right time to use it.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Jeeves’s voice cracks. “I knew I should have never have even spoken to Bloody Archard, but my work here is so lonesome. Bloody Archard said he wanted to share words, not take the coin. I had no idea I was opening myself up to a compulsion spell.” He leans forward in the boat, and the motion is so dramatic, the little vessel starts wobbling. “Let me make it up to you. There must be something I can do.”

  “You can tell us about Prescott,” says Lincoln.

  I shoot Lincoln a thumbs-up. “Another good call.” My guy is on a total roll today. “He’s got the hots for this so-called Lady of his. Know anything about her?”

  “Ah, yes, the Lady. I rowed her back and forth for a few weeks about, ah, six months ago.”

  “What can you tell us about her?” asks Lincoln.

  “She is a vision of beauty. I can see why Prescott favored her. They still write dozens of love letters each day.” He reaches into his pea coat. “I have one of them here.” Jeeves pulls out a small, familiar-looking envelope.

  “I’ve seen those before. Prescott has an entire drawer of them in his office.” I shiver. “They aren’t great reading.”

  Lincoln smirks. “Then I’ll take a look, since you’re so squeamish.” He takes the letter, opens it, and scans the contents. My guys’ face turns a little green. I’m so mature I don’t even tease him about it.

  “Enjoying that letter?” Okay, maybe I tease him a little.

  “Well, that was way too much information.”

  “Yeah, I think all the letters from the Lady are like that.” I return my attention to Jeeves. “Do you have any letters from Prescott?”

  “None, Great Scala.”

  “How about the Lady?” I ask. “Anything else we should know?”

  “She was a lust demon, or partly. Took me a while to figure it out. The Lady was always under a full body enchantment.”

  Lincoln folds his arms over his chest. “How can you tell? Those are impossible to see through.”

  “I’ve got a good eye, and the Lady was too perfect. I rowed her back and forth every day. Never was there a hair out of place. Never saw a drop of grime on her heels. Too perfect. That’s the sign of a full body enchantment.”

  I let out a low whistle. That kind of magick is tricky stuff. It’s also not typical for a lust demon. “How do you know she’s a lust demon?”

  “Well…” Jeeves starts squirming again. “You may not like this, miss.”

  “I can take it like a girl.”

  “I’ve been around my share of lust demons. I know how they work, and the way Prescott reacted around the Lady? It’s the same way he reacted when you set foot into my boat. The man turned downright lustful.”

  Now, my shields go way up. “Hey, now. I wasn’t acting seductively.”

  “You don’t need to,” says Lincoln. “You’re part lust demon.”

  I open my mouth, ready to argue. Unfortunately, Lincoln has a point. I’ve always known I was supposed to have powers over lust and wrath. The wrath stuff came easily, yet lust? That ability only kicked in after I met Lincoln. “Do you think it could have affected him?”

  “I can say from personal experience that it absolutely did.” Lincoln chuckles. “I was drawn to you from the first moment I saw you.”

  “That was different.” For the record, Lincoln saw me while I was chasing demons around at night. That’s what I consider a highly seductive situation. Not like, say, sitting in a boat, minding my own business.

  “Yes,” says Lincoln slowly. “It was.”

  Our gazes lock for a long second, and I’m so very, very happy I found Lincoln.

  Jeeves clears his throat. “Well, whatever power you have, Prescott acted the same way around you as the Lady. Word is, the man was once a scholar. But ever since he came here, everything has been about that woman.”

  His words echo through my mind in strange ways. It’s all about his Lady. Harper said something like that as well.

  Suddenly, some of the thoughts I’d been struggling with fall right into place. I grip Lincoln’s arm. “I know where the codex is.”

  “Where?”

  “It’s in his library.”

  “I thought you said you checked that.”

  “I checked his old library.” I’m so excited I bounce on the balls of my feet. “But that was the old Prescott. The new Prescott wouldn’t see his library as being filled with scholarly books. It would be his collection of her letters.”

  “The messages from the Lady?”

  “Yes, he had them all in his desk. The moment I saw the drawer, I thought the codex could have fit inside it. After I started reading the letters, I got so put off that I gave up.” I pound my leg with my fist. “How did I miss that?”

  “After reading one of those letters myself, I can’t say I blame you.” Lincoln wipes his hand off on his jacket, as if simply holding one of those letters made his skin filthy.

  I turn to Jeeves. “You’ve been super-helpful, thanks. We have to run now.”

  “Whenever you need me, just touch the water again.”

  “I will.” I start to turn away, but then remember something. “Is your real name Jeeves?”

  “No, Great Scala. It’s Jarl. Prescott wanted something that would be more in keeping with the school.”

  “I like Jarl, actually.”

  Lincoln clears his throat. “How about we get back to business?”

  Oh yeah. That. I focus on Lincoln. “We better hightail it back to Prescott’s office.”

  “I even know a shortcut.”

  “You’re awesome.”

  We race off into the forest, hand in hand.
Both of us are smiling our faces off because we’re about to find this stupid codex. After that, we can get our asses back to Antrum, lock up Aldred, and have an awesome wedding. Not that I know what the moms have planned for us.

  As I run along, I’m almost tempted to skip, I’m so happy. That’s when a little voice inside my head reminds me that even if we do find the codex, Lucifer’s coin is still out there somewhere. It won’t be much of a wedding if there’s no one left in the after-realms but demons.

  I set that thought aside. First things first.

  And right now, that first thing is sneaking back into Prescott’s office.

  21

  Lincoln leads me on another wackadoo set of paths through the forest. Note to universe: even though I’m number one, a girl, and number two, running past trees, I have yet to trip on a fucking thing. So nyah. In short order we’re right back by Prescott’s fancy pants HQ. I pause, my eyes widening with surprise.

  The clearing outside the place is mobbed.

  Students, faculty, and guards are all making a mad dash past the headmaster’s office and toward Jamboree Hall. It’s a super-strange sight. Normally, everyone shuffles around in small groups, looking terrified. Right now, they’re as excited as if someone was handing out demon bars nearby…Or whatever it is that humans value.

  “What’s going on?” I ask Lincoln. “Is this a faculty event thingy?”

  “Not that I know of. Perhaps the other students are staging an insurrection.” A blissed-out girl rushes past us. “They certainly look happy enough.”

  “Are you kidding? Folks here can hardly organize themselves to make eye contact, let alone revolt against Prescott.” I pause and tap my chin. “Although, I haven’t been super-chatty with any of the other students yet. Maybe they’re secretly badass.”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  More people run past. I tap the shoulders of no less than three students, trying to get their attention. Everyone ignores me. I look over to Lincoln, who’s been trying to do the same thing. No one’s talking to him, either, and he’s supposed to be a teacher. Frustration constricts my neck.

  It’s Friday morning. We have until sundown today to get that codex to Antrum’s courts. There’s no time to get caught up in student-body drama.

  I’m calling in my secret weapon.

  Angling my head over my shoulder, I talk from one side of my mouth. “Go get me one, boy.”

  Lincoln grins. “Hey, now. Did you just give your tail an order?” That man does so love it when I’m sneaky.

  “Mmmmmmaybe.”

  Another student jogs right by me. Clasping my hands behind my back, I pretend to be fascinated by the clouds. It’s important to look innocent at times like this. The moment the girl is level with me, my tail juts out and yanks on her kneecap. Because she’s human, she doesn’t see a thing. Well, other than the pavement coming toward her face.

  Ah, the things I do to save the after-realms.

  Before the girl can topple over, I step in to steady her, making sure to get a tight grip on her upper arm. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine. Excuse me.” She wiggles in my grasp, but I am not letting go until I get some answers.

  Lincoln moves to stand before both of us. “Juliana. I thought I asked the class to return to their cabins.”

  Huh. Leave it to Lincoln to have everyone’s names memorized after a day. I eye Juliana from head to toe, trying for some sense of recognition. If Lincoln asked her to return to her cabin, then Juliana must be in my gym class. She’s blonde haired, brown eyed, and pretty. I vaguely remember her.

  Maybe.

  Okay, I have no idea who this chick is.

  What can I say? I’m more of a warrior than a secret agent. In my defense, though, my classmates were only marching around in circles, so it’s not like I got a quality look at them.

  “We did return to our cabins,” explains Juliana. “The guards just came and got us. We’re going treasure hunting today. And the headmaster has upped the prize. All the students who help can make a ten-minute call…To anyone they want!”

  My brows lift. A ten-minute call is a big deal here. “Define treasure hunting.”

  Juliana bobs a bit on the balls of her feet. “The headmaster is digging some hole on the east side of the island.” She pulls harder against me. “I have to go. They’re handing out shovels and work gear in Jamboree Hall as we speak. We don’t have a lot of supplies, so if I don’t get there soon, I won’t be able to pitch in.” She lowers her voice. “Please. I really want to call my parents.”

  Damn. She’s so wide-eyed and pathetic it’s like trying to hold back a puppy. “I think that’s all we needed to know. What do you think, Linc—” I clear my throat. “I mean, do you need anything else, Mr. Prince?”

  “One last question before you go,” says Lincoln. “Do you know what you’re digging for?”

  “It’s some kind of artifact.” Juliana’s eyes widen. “A coin. That’s it.”

  Lincoln and I share a knowing look. Great. We’re finally about to get off this freaking island, and now is when Prescott rallies to find Lucifer’s coin. The “come to Acca” talk last night with Blaze must have really lit a fire under his butt.

  Thanks for nothing, universe.

  I let go of Juliana’s arm. “Good luck.” She takes off like a shot for Jamboree Hall. I set my palms on my eyes. “Do you ever wonder if maybe we’re cursed?”

  Lincoln chuckles. “In my opinion, our glass is half full.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  Lincoln sets his hands on my shoulders and angles me toward Prescott’s office. “Everyone’s off at the dig. There are no guards at the office door.”

  “Oh, yeah.” A zing of happy moves through my nervous system. “Let’s do this.”

  “Great scalas first.”

  Smiling, I rush up the short flight of steps to the front door and try the handle. Unlocked, yes! After pushing the door open, I peep into the office. The place looks exactly like it did before—all burnished steel and disinfected perfection. “No one’s in here.” I step inside.

  Lincoln follows close behind me. “Where did you say the codex might be hidden?”

  “In the place Prescott truly considers his library.” I gesture toward Prescott’s desk. “His collection of Lady letters is in here.” Plunking down in the chair, I yank on the largest handle. The drawer slides open with ease. All those ooey-gooey love notes still remain in their perfect little stacks. A shiver of disgust rolls over my shoulders. There’s no unseeing what was written in that message. Sweaty post-sex chest hair.

  Moving on.

  I shake my head, forcing my mind to focus on the task at hand. I dig out the letters with gleeful abandon. Haphazard piles of envelopes build up on the floor. Sweet. If nothing else, it will give Prescott something to clean up later. And if the headmaster freaks out that someone was rifling through his office? We’ll be long gone.

  Lincoln steals closer. “Tell me the codex is in there.”

  I dig out more letters and find nada. Disappointment weighs on my shoulders. “Not yet. But the drawer is really long.” Leaning forward, I jam my arm shoulder-deep into the drawer.

  Still nothing.

  Panic tightens up my rib cage. What if I totally miscalled this one? If we don’t find the codex, then Lincoln and I could go to jail, which would really suck…And not only for personal reasons. Together, we’d have a much better chance to stop Lucifer’s coin from releasing Hell on Earth. That is, assuming Prescott digs up the coin in the first place.

  I sigh. The way my day is going? Prescott’s totally going to dig that thing up.

  At last, my fingertips brush something smooth and hard. My tail does a happy dance. “Yes!”

  “You’ve got something?”

  “I think so.”

  Moving quickly, I haul out more letters than ever before. Angling my head, I look into the depths of the desk drawer. A glint of white shell appears in the back corner. Bit by b
it, I slowly pull the object out. It’s a magical codex, all right. Lifting the item up, I scan the bottom for the runes that mark it as ours.

  “This is our codex, all right.” I smile so hard, my cheeks hurt.

  A little bubble of happy seems to descend around me. It’s getting to be late Friday morning. Lincoln and I still have enough time to get the codex into the court, submit it as evidence, and put Aldred into a nasty little dungeon for the rest of his natural-born life.

  Nyah part deux.

  Lincoln’s grinning, too. He offers me his fist to bump. “Good work, Myla.”

  Before I can raise my arm, my tail swoops in, the arrowhead-end curving as it knocks into Lincoln’s fist. I can only chuckle. My tail is such a ham.

  Lincoln’s gaze locks with mine. A warm feeling seeps through my chest as my little bubble of happiness expands. For the first time in days, I contemplate all the wonderful things in our joint future. The wedding. Starting a family. Throwing Aldred into prison. Nothing but fun times. Sure, the coin is still floating around. That said, the only reason the coin’s a problem is Aldred. Once he’s locked up, we should be golden.

  But none of that will start until we get our asses out of here. Cradling the codex against my chest, I march toward the door, pausing beside coatrack where Prescott had a collection of jackets and stuff.

  “Are you cold?” asks Lincoln.

  “Nope. I need something to carry this codex.” I spot a leather backpack. “This will do perfectly.” Oooh, it’s Prada too. My BFF Cissy’s been teaching me about these human things. I zip open the bag. It doesn’t look like anything special. Then again, what I don’t know about fashion is a lot. I slip the codex inside, zip it back up, and hoist the pack onto my shoulders. “There now, all set. How close is the nearest Pulpitum?”

  “Not far, once the boatman takes us across the lake.”

  “Makes sense. I suspected that Dad was driving in circles to get here.”

  “Your father is a total gear head. Xavier knows almost as much about human automobiles as he does about demons.”

  “Wow.” That’s all I can say because Dad knows a ton about demons.

  We step outside. The moment fresh air hits me, my skin prickles with awareness. Something’s not right here. First of all, finding the codex was way too easy. Second, the courtyard is deserted now. Presumably, everyone’s digging holes on another part of the island. That’s not what has my danger-radar going off, though. An odd tension hangs in the air. I’m no expert in hunting, but I think we’re being watched. I pause just outside the door. “Someone’s out there.”